FAILURE ANALYSIS ARTICLES PAGE 2

2/3/2014· Failure Analysis

Failure Analysis: Manufacturing Engineer Examines the Root Cause of Automobile Rear View Mirror Failures

By: Dr. Thomas Read

The root cause of the failure of customer returns of heated automobile rear view mirrors was investigated.

12/20/2013· Failure Analysis

Outboard Boating Engine Accident: Mechanical Failure Analysis

By: Gerald Davis

A severe personal injury incident occurred as a recreational fishing boat was approaching a dock at approximately 20 mph after a day on the water. The large outboard engine (75 HP) on the stern of the boat struck a fixed underwater obstruction, flipped into the boat while still running and amputated the hand of a passenger seated near the engine.

11/11/2013· Failure Analysis

Forensic Clues: Powered Winch Accidents

By: John Ryan, BSME, PE

Powered winches are in use in a variety of applications, some of the most common include vehicle-mounted electric winches, marine vessel winches, marine recovery winches, industrial winches and chain hoists. Accidents occur in all types of winch uses.

9/26/2013· Failure Analysis

Forensic Clues: Seat Belt Failure

By: John Ryan, BSME, PE

In 2007, an estimated 15,147 lives were saved from seat belt use. Seat belts save five times more lives than airbags, according to statistics released by NHTSA. Seat belt use has increased over the years, due to cultural trends, and possibly due to the enactment of seat belt use laws. Seat belt systems do not always function as predicted. Seat belt systems can fail during a collision, often resulting in serious injury or death to the vehicle occupant.

7/3/2013· Failure Analysis

Forensic Clues: Fiberglass Failure

By: John Ryan, BSME, PE

Safety Engineering Resources has had the opportunity to learn a great deal about using fiberglass in structural applications, which are simply applications that must support some sort of load. Using fiberglass as a structural material was brought about by the advances made by organic chemists in recent decades in the field of plastics.

4/2/2013· Failure Analysis

Forensic Clues: Structural Failures

By: John Ryan, BSME, PE

Structural failures of buildings range from catastrophic building failures involving mass loss of life and/or property to structural problems such as sagging floors or ceilings, leaning walls, cracking or sinking foundations.

8/7/2012· Failure Analysis

Failure Analysis: Metal Fatigue of Automatic Machinery - Wafer Test Station

By: Dr. Thomas Read

During normal operation, the arm on an automatic wafer test station failed. Root cause failure analysis determined that the drive shaft on the right angle gear motor used to raise and lower the manipulator arm had failed first.

5/21/2012· Failure Analysis

Failure Analysis: Product Liability & Personal Injury Involving a Broken Grinding Wheel

By: Dr. Thomas Read

This grinding wheel was part of a product liability and personnel injury case. It was claimed that the subject wheel had unexpectedly failed (i.e. flown apart) and an escaping piece had hit the plaintiff in the face causing serious injuries. According to the user, the grinder with the wheel was purchased approximately one hour before the grinding wheel failure.

3/29/2012· Failure Analysis

Failure Analysis: Collapse of Plastic Chair

By: Dr. Thomas Read

A failed plastic lawn chair was examined to determine the cause of failure. This chair failed on the premises of a restaurant In this study the subject chair is examined and compared to several exemplar purchased at the same time. The objective of this study is to determine the cause of failure.

11/8/2011· Failure Analysis

Root Cause Failure Analysis of Tempered Glass Door

By: Dr. Thomas Read

Glass Failure Analysis Expert Witness performs a failure analysis of a several tempered glass doors that had "spontaneously" failed at a construction site. The objective of this glass failure analysis is to determine the cause of failure and make recommendations to the contractor.